In situ deposition behavior of silica-based layers and its effect on thermal degradation of IN713 turbine blades during operation of a micro-gas turbine

This study examined the in situ deposition behavior of silica-based layers on IN713 turbine blades during the operation of a 13 kgf-class gas turbine at a rotation speed of 20,000/min as well as its effect on the degradation of the metallic substrate. Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) was mixed with the fuel (liquid petroleum gas, LPG) and burned to generate silica-based coating precursors for deposition from the flame. Two deposition conditions were adopted. For condition 1 (C1), the silicon-to-carbon ratio in the mixed fuel was set at 0.1 mol% for the first 5 min and at zero mol% for the final 95 min in a 100-min operation. For condition 2 (C2), the ratio was set at 0.005 mol% during the entire 100 min operation. The total TEOS feed was the same under both conditions. C1 resulted in a rather uniform and thicker (5-10 μm on the pressure side) porous silica-based coating on the blade than C2. The in situ deposited layer of C1 was well preserved on the blade and protected the underlying metallic substrate from oxidation during the entire 100 min operation. The layer on the C2 blades was ∼5 μm thick at the region near to root, but was too thin in the other areas on the blade to be protective. The early build-up of a porous layer to an effective thickness on the blades produced a thermal barrier toward the substrate as well as a diffusion barrier toward the oxidizing elements during operation.     

Uniform Drug Loading into Prefabricated Microparticles by Freeze‐Drying

Microparticle‐based drug delivery is a promising technology for small volume bioassay platforms. The general utilization of the drug‐loaded microparticles in the in vitro bioassay platforms requires the drug loading method, which should impregnate the general drug types (e.g., water insoluble) with high payload into the variously designed microparticles. Loading the drug into the prefabricated microparticles using solvent evaporation satisfies the requirement. However, similar to the “coffee‐ring effect,” drugs are loaded in a seriously nonuniform manner, caused by the capillary flow during the evaporation process. Here, it is presented that the freeze‐drying is an efficient way to load uniform and high amount of the drug into the prefabricated microparticles. It is demonstrated that freezing solvent can block the capillary flow during the solvent removal process, improving the loading uniformity. The delivered amount of drugs is linearly proportional to the initial loading amount of drugs. Also, this drug loading method is shown to be applied to the various drug types and the prefabricated microparticles with different properties. Considering many challenges to suppress the “coffee‐ring effect” that induces nonuniform impregnation/deposition, the proposed concept can be applied not only for microparticle‐based drug delivery but also for uniform coating applications (e.g., thin‐film coating, DNA/protein microarray).     

Performance limits of pico-cell systems using radio-over-fiber techniques with an electroabsorption modulator

We investigate the performance limits of a pico-cell system using the radio- over-fiber technique with an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) in a 2.4 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. To understand the performance limits of the system using an EAM as the optical transceiver, we vary the optical modulation index (OMI) of the transmitter for different bias voltages to the EAM. Power margins in the links are found to estimate a possible service range, and packet loss rates (PLRs) in the pico-cell system are measured to evaluate the transmission performance. The total service range can be extended up to 3 m by adjusting the OMI of the transmitter for different applied bias voltages to the EAM.     

A nondestructive method for estimation of the fracture toughness of CrMoV rotor steels based on ultrasonic nonlinearity

The objective of this paper is to develop a nondestructive method for estimating the fracture toughness (K(IC)) of CrMoV steels used as the rotor material of steam turbines in power plants. To achieve this objective, a number of CrMoV steel samples were heat-treated, and the fracture appearance transition temperature (FATT) was determined as a function of aging time. Nonlinear ultrasonics was employed as the theoretical basis to explain the harmonic generation in a damaged material, and the nonlinearity parameter of the second harmonic wave was the experimental measure used to be correlated to the fracture toughness of the rotor steel. The nondestructive procedure for estimating the K(IC) consists of two steps. First, the correlations between the nonlinearity parameter and the FATT are sought. The FATT values are then used to estimate K(IC) using the K(IC) versus excess temperature (i.e., T-FATT) correlation that is available in the literature for CrMoV rotor steel.     

Fouling Mitigation in a Heat Exchanger: High Cycles of Concentration for a Cooling-Tower Application

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of a physical water treatment (PWT) technology on fouling mitigation in a simulated cooling tower operating at high cycles of concentration. Hard water was produced by evaporating pure water in a circulating open cooling tower, where dissolved calcium carbonate ions became concentrated with time. Heat transfer tests were conducted in a rectangular channel by varying the cycle of concentration (COC) from 5 to 10, and fouling resistances were measured over 270 hrs for each case with and without the PWT treatment. Another test was conducted with no blowdown case with and without the PWT treatment. The fouling resistance at 5 cycles with the PWT treatment was about 70% less than that in the case without the PWT treatment at the end of 270-hr tests. Even at 10 cycles, the PWT treatment reduced the fouling resistance by 60% from the value for the no treatment case. Thus, one can conclude that the PWT technology can help circulating cooling-tower water at relatively high COC for significant freshwater conservation, while keeping fouling resistances below industry standards.     

An Experimental Study on Heat Transfer Coefficients of a CO2-Filled Thermosyphon

Abstract

Because carbon dioxide is ozone friendly and has negligible global warming potential, it has received renewed interest in recent years as an important alternative refrigerant. In this article, the heat transfer characteristics of a carbon dioxide-filled two-phase closed thermosyphon were investigated experimentally, and the empirical heat transfer correlations are reported. The heat transfer data were analyzed, and heat transfer coefficients were compared with conventional heat transfer correlations. The results represent that heat transfer correlation of the heated section can be expressed with Kutatelatze's correlation, and heat transfer coefficients of the condenser section are found to be in reasonable agreement with the Nusselt equation.     

Tracking of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells labeled with fluorescent magnetic nanoparticle in liver cirrhosis rat model with 3-T MRI

In vivo visualization of transplanted stem cells with noninvasive technique is essential for the monitoring of cell implantation, homing and differentiation. At present, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) is most commonly used for cell labeling. However, stem cells lack phagocytic capacity and transfection agent is required for sufficient internalization of SPIO for cellular imaging. However, the potential hazards of transfection agents are not fully investigated. Instead of SPIO, we used commercially available new tagging material, fluorescent magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) containing rhodamine B isothiocyanate within a silica shell (Biterials, Seoul, Korea). This tagging material does not require transfection agents for the cell labeling. In addition to that, the core of this MNP is composed of ferrite and the inner portion of silica shell contains fluorescent materials, therefore, it has both magnetic and optical features. This study was designed to track intrasplenically injected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) labeled with fluorescent MNP in liver cirrhosis rat model with 3-T magnetic resonance equipment. We compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of livers in rats which were injected with non-labeled stem cells or labeled stem cells with MNP or SPIO. We found that the respective liver-to-muscle contrast-to-noise ratios at 3 and 5 h after MNP or SPIO-labeled stem cell injection was significantly lower than that of pre-injection and non-labeled group. There was no significant difference between MNP-labeled group and SPIO-labeled group. We can effectively detect intrasplenically injected MNP-labeled MSCs in an experimental rat model of liver cirrhosis with 3-T MRI.     

Optimal growth conditions for GdBa2Cu3O7 thin-film coated conductors characterized by polarized Raman scattering spectroscopy

High temperature superconducting GdBa₂Cu₃O₇ (GdBCO) thin films were grown by pulsed laser ablation. Textured MgO on metal substrates was used as a template for second generation wire applications. Growth conditions of GdBCO thin films were investigated for substrate temperature (T_s) and oxygen partial pressure (PO₂) during deposition. Superconducting critical currents of the films were obtained in the films grown at 790–810 °C of T_s and at 100–700 mTorr of PO₂. Scanning electron micrographs of the films revealed uniform and well-connected grains with some outgrown structures. X-ray θ–2θ scans of the films grown at 810 °C and 300–500 mTorr exhibited c-axis oriented texture. In-plane alignment and c-axis mosaic spread of the films were determined from X-ray Φ scans and rocking curves, respectively. Polarized Raman scattering spectroscopy was used to characterize optical phonon modes, oxygen content, cation disorder, and some possible second phases of the films. The Raman spectra of the films with large critical current density showed modes at 326–329 cm⁻¹, 444–447 cm⁻¹, 500–503 cm⁻¹ related to vibration of oxygen atoms. Origin of small peaks near 600 cm⁻¹ will be discussed as well. The information obtained from Raman scattering measurements will be useful for quality control of the conductors as well as optimization of the process conditions.     

Micromorphology of epicuticular wax structures of the garden strawberry leaves by electron microscopy: Syntopism and polymorphism

Ultrastructural aspects of leaf epicuticular wax structures were investigated in the garden strawberry Fragaria × ananassa by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Both the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of two cultivars (Maehyang and Red Pearl) were collected and subjected to surface observations and ultrathin sections. The most prominent leaf epicuticular wax structures included membraneous platelets and angular rodlets. Most wax platelets were membraneous, and appeared to protrude from the surface at an acute angle. Angular rodlets were usually bent and had rather distinct facets in the abaxial surface of the two cultivars. Membraneous platelets were predominant on the adaxial surface of Maehyang, whereas the adaxial surface of Red Pearl was characterized by angular rodlets. However, both cultivars possessed angular rodlets on the abaxial surface, simultaneously. The combination of air-drying without vacuum and in-lens imaging of secondary electron signals with a field emission gun could impart the superb resolution at low electron dose with minimal specimen shrinkage. In vertical profiles of the leaf epidermis, epicuticular waxes were observed above the cuticle layer, and measured approximately as 50 nm in thickness. The natural epicuticular waxes were seemingly mixtures of electron-dense microfibrils, and heterogeneous in shape on ultrathin sections. Distinct crystal-like strata could be hardly discernable in the wax structures. These results suggest that the garden strawberry has the nature of syntopism within one plant and polymorphism within the same species in the formation and occurrence of leaf epicuticular waxes.     

Abnormal Li diffusion in β-LiGa by the formation of defect complex

The diffusion coefficients of Li in the NaTl-type Li intermetallic compound of β-LiGa have been measured by using a short-lived radioactive diffusion tracer. As the tracer, the α-emitting radioisotope of ⁸Li delivered as the energetic and pulsed beam from Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex (TRIAC) was implanted into the β-LiGa compounds with the composition in the range of about 43 to 54 at.% Li. By analyzing the time-dependent yields of the α-particles measured according to the repetition cycle of the beam, the tracer diffusion coefficients were extracted over the wide range of Li composition. Abnormal composition-dependence of Li diffusion coefficients in β-LiGa was observed; the stoichiometric β-LiGa showed the highest diffusivity of Li. By referring to the composition-dependent diffusivity of Li in the iso-structural β-LiAl and β-LiIn, we could identify the abnormal diffusion of Li in very Li-poor composition of β-LiGa. The anomaly has been discussed qualitatively in terms of the formation of defect complex and the interaction between the constitutional defects.